Local firefighters turn to Facebook to keep public informed

MIDDLETOWN — Through the years, those with an itch for all things firefighting have gone by different names: "Fire-fans." "Sparkies." "Fire buffs."

James Nani

MIDDLETOWN — Through the years, those with an itch for all things firefighting have gone by different names: "Fire-fans." "Sparkies." "Fire buffs."

The name "buff," according to the 1967 book "Pictorial History of Firefighting" by Robert W. Masters, came from the "hose-and-wagon days" when enthusiasts would huddle on icy street corners for hours under buffalo robes. Firemen joked and called them "the buffaloes," which turned to "buff," for short.

Whatever you call them, nowadays the technology allowing the average person to follow and track fires and emergency incidents in their hometown and, indeed, around the world, has kept pace.

Godoy, along with four other administrators, try in their free time to keep pace with serious incidents captured from radio scanners and post them online.

It's all unofficial. And it's often unverified, initial information coming straight from the scanners. But the page lets curious locals, other firefighters and concerned families quickly track incidents and add their own comments and observations.

Since Godoy began the page in late January, more than 2,500 people have "liked" it, and he's working on starting a new one for Sullivan County.

"I was shocked," said Godoy, "It started off as a hobby and it's turning into something bigger."

Kerhonkson firefighter Christian Balsgard said he started his Facebook page, Ulster County Fire/Rescue Incidents, to honor the memory of a friend who got him into firefighting — Wayne Depew.

But Balsgard said he also wanted to see and share how other fire companies work. Since he started the page in February, it's gained more than 3,200 "likes."

With six administrators helping to maintain the Facebook page, it lets other firefighters ogle company "toys" like fire trucks, and satisfies that urge to know what's happening when a fire truck flies by.

"It's like when people rubberneck an accident. It's human nature," said Balsgard.

Robert Leonard, a spokesman for the Firemen's Association of the State of New York, said technology to spread emergency info has come a long way since the 1970s, when scanners ran off crystals.

With certain smartphone apps, nowadays you can listen to stations from around the country, right in your hand.

But whether a crystal radio scanner or Facebook page, it's still a way for people to learn what's going on around them.

"Facebook has made it so simple. The interesting thing is that Facebook pushes it out proactively into people's newsfeed," said Leonard.